Construction worker killed when five story building set for demolition collapsed in Midtown

Construction worker killed when five story building set for demolition collapsed in Midtown

Posted on Nov 2, 2015 9:12am PST

A construction worker, Pedro Bacilio age 26, was killed and another injured when a five story building in midtown Manhattan that was set for demolition, collapsed on them Friday morning.

The building at 25 West 38th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, was being demolished to make way for a 180 room, 27 story luxury hotel to be called the Aloft New York Midtown.

Officials stated that an engineer working on the project ordered demolition on the five story building be stopped until the building could be secured.

Firefighters spent over three hours trying to remove the injured construction worker from the mound of debris on top of him. The collapse occurred around 10:30 am and the worker was freed around 1:40 pm and taken to Bellevue Hospital Center and is listed in serious condition.

It was unclear if the work being done on Friday before the building’s second and third floors collapsed was part of an effort to secure the structure or part of the demolition, according to NY Times. The cause of the collapse is being investigated.

The construction industry is very risky and these workers put their lives on the line every day to help build this country. Our hearts go out to those affected by this tragedy.